Secrets On A Fan
by dreamcatcher81
Summary: A mysterious fan containing hidden messages wanders between lives. Exchanging notions and urges, fears and joys two lonely souls begin to bond. What will bloom from this liaison?
1. Chapter 1 Kagome

_Hey! This is Summerbirdy and Dreamcatcher. We are co authoring this story, Secrets On A Fan, and wish you enjoy reading this as we've been enjoying writing this. We are taking turns on writing the chapters, but be assured, you will be notified which of us has written which chapter. We do not own Inuyasha or make profit writing this, it is purely for fun and growing as a writers. This story will be posted here on Dokuga under Summerbirdy´s account and will also been found on under Dreamcatcher´s (dreamcatcher81)._

This chapter is written by Summerbirdy and it's told in Kagome's POV.

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><p>The beginning<p>

On the river bend, leaning on a big, smooth boulder, sat a young woman. She had a worn working kimono on, and her onyx black hair was piled on her head in a messy bun. Her eyes, that gazed towards the clear sky, were blue and had a particularly haunting sad look to them. Her name was shouted from in the distance, but she didn't react much. Only a slight frown on her face gave any indication that she heard the call.

"Kagome! There you are!" a ruff voice was heard above, and a figure glad in red haori jumped next to her." Kaede has been looking all over for you."

"I'm sorry Inuyasha. I must have fallen asleep and not heard her." Kagome whispered.

"Keh. You are always so sleepy nowadays. What's the matter with you, woman?" Inuyasha snapped.

Kagome winced at the angry sound, but made no comment. She rose, brushed her kimono off and started walking towards the village.

She had been lying. She had heard every word, every call that had been made, but didn't _want_ to answer the calls. If she did, she would have needed to face the village women, who were curious and gossipy. Who's eyes were full of pity when they looked at her. She couldn't take it anymore.

It had been almost three years now. Three years ago, she had come back to her home, her love and faith. Or so she believed. Inuyasha had been so happy to see her, kissed her, held her and promised to never let her go again.

They had gotten engaged soon after, and planned to get married. But, the original wedding date had been two years ago, and still nothing had happened. If it wasn't an urgent call from a far away village that needed demon hunters, it was something else that called for Inuyasha's attention and so the date had to be postponed. Time after time. They had canceled four weddings now and truth be told, Kagome was getting very pissed off about it.

Oh, her beloved hanyou was eager for the benefits, and kept pestering her about it too. If she wasn't firm believer of not going all the way before the wedding night, she might have ended up unmarried woman with at least two children by now. With a lover who shirked his duties.

There was a pattern in all of this. Each time they had set the date, Inuyasha had started to get distant. His journeys had started to take longer and it seemed he 'forgot' to pick up or buy any of the wedding related items he was asked, and even begged to get. And each time, just two weeks before the set date, he'd call it off because of 'an urgent matter' somewhere Kagome had never heard of. And with all traveling they had done when she was 15, that said quite a lot. Didn't he realize that she was smart enough to notice these things?

It suddenly hit her, that maybe he actually thought he could pull this off without her noticing. She had not said a thing, had not pestered him for a reason. It was partly her fault that things had gone like this for so long.

But she knew from experience that getting answers from Inuyasha was like stopping quicksand sucking you down. Any move you made would lead to more desperation. He was too good at evading all questions.

What escaped Kagome, was the reason behind all this. Why did he keep rescheduling their wedding? Why he didn't tell her, if he was getting cold feet? Though when she thought about it, it shouldn't be a surprise. Just like with Kikyo all those years ago, he couldn't say a word of his feelings, but wanted all he was offered.

When she seriously thought about it, Inuyasha was still being the same. After six years, he was still selfish, rough, and boyish. He was everything she had admired and loved then and even three years ago. So why did she feel that it wasn't enough anymore? The thought made her heart ache.

She glanced at her side, where Inuyasha was walking, amazingly silent. He had serious expression on his face and he kept throwing glances at her direction, thinking she didn't notice. Kagome knew there was something on his mind, it was clear as a day. She wanted to ask what is was, but when she tried to open her mouth, Inuyasha got there first.

"Kagome, I'm sorry I haven't been around lately." He said in a voice so silent, Kagome had to strain her ears to catch every word. "It's just that... that..." His voice drifted.

"Yes, Inu?" Kagome prompted.

Complete absence of sound surrounded them, making every second feel like a minute. Neither of them dared to look at the other in fear of what might be visible in their eyes. Then, just as Kagome was loosing patience and turning to continue towards village, Inuyasha grabbed her arms and yanked her forward. Before Kagome managed to make a sound, his lips crashed down on hers, hard. The kiss was desperate, hungry and she felt her heart melting once again.

Why did he have so strong a grip on her heart? Why she was willing to suffer once again, only to get few desperate kisses and no sweet words, confessed feelings or gentle showings of affection?

When Inuyasha let her go, she smiled at him brightly. Though the smile didn't reach her eyes, and the only one to notice it was dark figure in the shadows of the trees. Neither of them noticed the owner of golden eyes that followed them to the village.

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><p>Two weeks later found Kagome waking up from amazingly peaceful sleep. No one woke her up demanding breakfast, namely ramen. No one had pounced on her, asking for lollipop or a story. No irate hanyou, no overactive kitsune or bouncy young girl. No harsh miko teacher or teasing friends.<p>

Kagome, her mind fully awakening, was actually confused for a minute, until the delicious aroma of her favorite foods assaulted her nose. Birthday! It was her 21st birthday. And they had remembered. She rose hurriedly, put her clothes on and ran to common area of the hut she, Rin and Shippo inhabited.

"Happy Birthday Kagome!" Her friends shouted as soon as they noticed her.

Shippo ran to hug her and started babbling how about they had prepared everything and how he was soooo hungry and could she maybe also be hungry. Rin was hungry too, wasn't she? Kagome couldn't do anything but laugh at that.

Later, when food was ready and everyone had their share, she noticed someone missing. Inuyasha wasn't there to wish her a happy birthday. It made her a bit sad, but she shrugged it off. Maybe he was preparing a surprise for her. He did that every year. Though it nagged at her that he skipped food. He never did that. Well, not since Kikyo...

Forcefully, Kagome pushed all bad thoughts away and decided to enjoy her birthday. No matter what, today she would be happy. She looked at the happy faces of Shippo and Rin and found that it wouldn't be too hard either. No one could be cross when those two were present.

Except maybe Sesshoumaru, but Kagome was secretly quite sure that his blank face was a mask and that inside he was laughing like a hyena. Actually, when she thought about it, she was sure she had seen his mouth twitch. Twice in fact, when Shippo and Rin had tricked Inuyasha just last week.

Speaking of the daiyoukai, it seemed her thoughts had summoned him to the hut, since he decided to enter at that moment. The Lord of the West had been coming and going at irregular times to check on Rin and her progress on her studies. Kagome just assumed that the daiyoukai still didn't trust her abilities to teach.

She had taken it upon herself to teach the girl reading and writing, as well as correct protocol. Kaede was teaching them both how to be a miko, and Kagome sensed nothing but contentment from the Western Lord when it came to Kaede. But every time he was there to witness her teachings, it felt like his eyes bore into her, looking for something. A failure, she assumed, but had enough sense to never bring those thoughts out.

It was a wonder really, how Rin had stayed so childlike and innocent during the six years she had been living in the village. She was soon reaching the age of marriage, but Kagome had noticed that no villager tried to push the idea of marriage into the girl's head, nor did young men try to woo her. Kagome though it was the influence the Western Lord, and since she liked the girl to have her childhood as happy as possible, she never brought the subject out.

"Kagome?" Rin's soft voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Yes, Rin?" The young miko smiled softly to the girl.

"I... I..." It was obvious that Rin was hesitant to continue.

"Go on, Rin."

Kagome scooted closer to Rin and wrapped her arm around the girl.

"I... I wanted to.. a present..." The girl, who was usually so happy and spoke without restrains, was now silent and stuttering. She kept looking at Sesshoumaru, like asking for help, but before the daiyoukai had chance to interfere, Kagome knelt in front of Rin and took hold of her shoulders.

"Rin, dear, look at me." Two pairs of eyes met. "Take deep breath, count to five and then tell me."

Rin breathed in deeply, lifted her eyes to Kagome's and with clear voice said "I asked Sesshoumaru-sama to get you a present for me. Since you've been so good to me in these three years, I wanted to give you a special birthday present. And Shippo helped us too."

Kagome glanced at Shippo, who had a bashful face, and Sesshoumaru who, as usual, had his indifferent mask on. He nodded to confirm his ward's words. She turned her eyes back to Rin, who now had a small package in her hands.

"This is to you, Lady Kagome." Rin bowed deep, just like Kagome had taught and presented the package to her. Kagome gracefully accepted the gift, and made mental note on complimenting the girl later. She then proceeded to open the delicately wrapped gift, under the watchful eyes of the children and the Lord.

Soon, she held a beautiful ebony comb in her hands. It was a masterpiece in its beauty and craft. It was obviously made by someone who took pride in their work.

"It's... Why I never..." Kagome stumbled over her words, eyes still on the comb. "I don't know what to say."

"You... you don't like it?" Rin asked timidly.

Not like it? Kagome lifted her eyes to young girl, and saw her eyes glistening with tears.

"Oh, Rin. I adore it! This is the most beautiful thing I've ever been given!" She then gathered girl in her arms. "Oh, thank you so much!"

To everyone in the room, it was obvious how much Kagome's praise meant to the girl. Her face started glowing in happiness, as she placed her head on Kagome's shoulder and sighed in contentment. The rest of the day was full of happiness and laughter. Kagome asked Rin to put the comb in her hair, and the joy and pride on the girl's face was like a second sun.

The villagers had put together a bonfire for her, and when sun set and stars appeared on evening sky, they lit the fire. Kaede had even arranged few fireworks. The birthday was the best Kagome had had in long time. The only thing that darkened her day, was the absence of Inuyasha. He had not shown up at all.

Later in the evening, when Rin and Shippo were sound asleep and the guests had all gone their separate ways, Kagome let her thoughts wander to the silver haired hanyou. Where had he been? There were no prior happenings to her knowledge. They had talked about her birthday just two days ago. She has really had enough of this wayward behavior. She angrily emptied her tea cup, and wished for something stronger. Unfortunately she had nothing.

After her evening routine, she headed to her own room. Opening the door she noticed something sparkling in the moonlight. Cautiously, she slipped inside the room. A beautiful fan was laying on her futon. It had a dark polished handle that was carved into the shape of phoenix. Kagome sat on her futon and gently picked it up.

When she opened it, she saw the prettiest ink painting of cherry tree she had ever seen. It was clearly an expensive piece. The craftsmanship of the handle was meticulous and the paper and art were of much better quality than those she had seen at home in the future. She carefully inspected the fan, smiling gently. Could this be from Inuyasha?

Turning the fan shattered those hopes, but brought in excitement and wonder. On the right side of the fan's backside was something written. At first the writing made no sense to her, but after some time looking at the writing, she understood that it was written in katakana.

The way of drawing the symbols was ancient, at least compared to how she was taught in the future. And the words didn't made any sense. Kagome was pretty sure it wasn't even Japanese. But why would there be a writing of pure nonsense on the fan? Surely the craftsman who made it wouldn't ruin his work like that.

After carefully reading the syllables out loud few times she realized the familiarity of the language. It was English! And sounded like something Shakespeare would write too. During the three years away completing her school, she had enjoyed the English language and started reading English books. One of her favorites, that was even now stacked in her books here in Feudal Era, was a work of Shakespeare. After this realization, Kagome started to read the message aloud.

_~ Why is it that, that Thy smile draws me in? That to decipher Thee becomes this one´s intent? Yet wondering why it is that from dawn to dusk, Thy eyes stay sad behind that smiling mask? ~_

Kagome sat still, shocked. She read the message over and over again. Someone had wrote a message to her, claiming to want to know her better. And didn't even leave a name. But to notice her mask of happiness she had on every day, this person_ must_ be someone near her. But who? And why? She laid down, turning the fan in her hand and thoughts in her head, and slowly, she drifted into sleep.

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><p>Next morning Kagome was washing dishes when Inuyasha burst in. Without so much as a 'good morning', he sat beside the fireplace.<p>

"Oi, wench! You got any food for me?" He demanded.

Kagome stiffened. So that was it, huh? No 'Hey Kags, good morning, sorry I wasn't there for your birthday.' Well, if he wanted it that way...

Kagome grasped a bowl and filled it with leftovers of her and the children's morning meal. She silently put it in front of her fiance, and continued her work. Inuyasha didn't seem to notice, he was wolfing down his food in his own slightly disgusting way. After finishing the bowl and confirming that there were no seconds, he dropped the bowl and took comfortable pose. His eyes soon noticed the bile of fine silk and the new comb that was placed in Kagome's hair.

"What's that, wench? Since when did you have money to buy those ugly things?" He demanded. "It's not like they fit you even. You could have used the money on better food or something."

Kagome glanced at him, then continued her tasks and shrugged her shoulders. "They were a gift."

"From whom?" Inuyasha perked.

"Many people. Your brother for example." She said, still sounding uninterested.

"_Half_-brother. And why would that bastard buy _you _gifts?" The hanyou snorted.

"Maybe because we are allies and almost family." _And because yesterday was my birthday. _She thought to herself.How she managed to sound so off-handed, Kagome didn't quite know herself. But something had clicked yesterday, and now she knew what she wanted. Or rather, what she didn't want.

Kagome dried her hands and sat down, across from Inuyasha. She looked him straight in the eyes and asked if he had heard about anything that had happened yesterday. The hanyou scoffed.

"How should I know? I returned just now, came straight to see you."

Kagome's eyebrow twitched. "Inu..." Her voice was dangerously close to the one that used to lead him to kiss the mother earth. Repeatedly. She took deep breath and tried to calm down.

"So, you're saying you didn't forget anything? No preset dates yesterday? No promises to be anywhere?"

"I already said no." He frowned. "Now what are you talking about, woman?"

Silence stretched to the hut.

"Inuyasha." her voice was soft and pleasant. "Do you still love me?"

This shocked half demon. Wide-eyed he straightened himself. "Look, if this is about wedding, just let it be, okay. I've been busy alright? And I know we didn't plan any wedding for yesterday, so don't go fooling me there."

"You didn't answer my question."

"Of course I love you! Why wouldn't I love you? You're the only one I've ever loved!" Inuyasha claimed, hastily. And maybe in that haste he forgot who he was talking to.

Silence took over once again. This time Inuyasha started to feel that not everything was alright in his world. Then Kagome started talking.

"Right. Then. Why don't we call this whole farce off? It's quite obvious you don't want to marry me. You don't even really love me, it's still Kikyo isn't it?" Inuyasha flinched, noticeably. "And truth be told, I'm not sure I love you anymore."

"Wait, Kag.."

"QUIET! Let me finish." Kagome almost screamed and Inuyasha sat back down, ears flat and ringing.

"You know, I'm sick and tired of waiting. Waiting for you to grow up, make up your mind and marry me. I'm sick of always listening to excuses for the wedding to be postponed. I'm tired of being the reason for gossip and laughter. And I'm tired of you taking me for granted." Her voice rose steadily as she stated her disappointments, until she was yelling her heart out.

"It's over now. I'm tired of waiting and I won't wait anymore. We are done, through, finished. This engagement is off!" Kagome wrenched the ring Inuyasha had give to her from her finger and threw it somewhere, she really didn't care.

"Now get out and leave me alone!"

"But Kagome.."

"GET OUT!"

Kagome rushed to her room, not bothering to see if Inuyasha really left. Her eyes took in the fan, that was sitting on her table. She took bottle of ink and a brush and set to write her answer to this person who wished to know her unhappiness. Unnoticed to her, her tears left marks on the fan.

_~ My eyes cry behind my smile, for my love is no love at all. It's a farce, a cruel comedy. Once I believed love will conquer all, but now I ask: To never love or be loved, wouldn't that be a blessing? ~_

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><p><em>Hope you enjoyed! <em>_Please Read & Review!_

_This chapter was written by Summerbirdy (.com/profile/userprofile/summerbirdy)_

_Next one will be Dreamcatcher's. (.com/profile/userprofile/dreamcatcher)_


	2. Chapter 2 Sesshomaru

_This is Summerbirdy and Dreamcatcher. We are co authoring this story, Secrets On A Fan, and wish you enjoy reading this as we've been enjoying writing this. We are taking turns on writing the chapters, but be assured, you will be notified which of us has written which chapter. We do not own Inuyasha or make profit writing this, it is purely for fun and growing as a writers. This story will be posted here on Dokuga under Summerbirdy´s account and will also been found on under Dreamcatcher´s (dreamcatcher81)._

_This chapter is written by Dreamcatcher and it's told in Sesshoumaru's POV._

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><p>First Stepps To Solve A Mystery<p>

In a wonderfully traditional garden stood a lone figure on a small wooden bridge that crossed a pond full of water lilies and koi. He leaned forward, his elbows propped on the railing, his slender hands slightly entwined. The male stared unfocused out over the water. Fireflies danced between the plants and gave the dark surroundings an iridescent glow.

The male sighed softly and straightened his back. For a moment he turned slightly and leveled his seemingly cold, golden glance at the modest house behind him. Everyone who visited him here was surprised to find him actually living in a house, even if he seemingly spent the better part of his life wandering through his lands.

Rolling broad shoulders to loosen the cramps he made his way back to the open shoji. He wondered why everybody was surprised to find him having his life´s center in a house. He was not his father who had felt the need to live in a huge palace to boast of his status, nor was he his mother with her fondness for extravagance that had her living in a palace in the clouds.

Still, as soon as he had been old enough, he had made his own home here with this modest house. A fellow lord had once asked him why a house, as he had believed him to be a wanderer and had been very surprised with the simple yet true answer. He was a dog, and dogs were domestic creatures. So therefore, he had felt the need for a home of his own.

"Lord Sesshomaru," greeted the soft voice of his maid. He had only a very small staff here. There was his maid and his faithful housekeeper with his wife who worked for him as a chef. The only other workers were a stable lad, of course his retainers and a comparatively small group of strong and loyal guards. The latter served as protectors for him, but also for his lands if he was occupied elsewhere.

He didn´t need a paid army like other rulers, as his people were more than capable and willing to fight with him if needed. All in all his staff was more than enough for him. The small maid placed a tray with a tea pot and a cup on it´s usual place on his desk and left soundlessly.

Stepping inside the cozy, oil lamp lit study, the Western Lord half closed the shoji behind him. The tall inu sank down at a cushion behind his desk and looked over piles of paperwork, requests and drafts of possible laws. A black brush with silver ornamenting lay within reach on a small ceramic plate holding also a small jar with water, his ink bar and the rubbing stone.

On the leather desk pad lay a half finished ink painting. It showed clearly the visible contours of the Goshinboku and a half finished figure of a certain young girl sitting under it while gazing at a nearly completed night sky. A small hand carved frame lay ready next to it, waiting to hold the picture when he would take it with him on his next visit.

The male reached for the first scroll but pulled his hand back, reaching inside his haori instead. His hand found the precious item and pulled it out of the folds. Carefully he freed the fan from the fabric it was wrapped in and looked at it. A quick, practiced flick of his hand opened it with a soft swish. He read, once more, the message written on it and touched the tender spots left by her tears.

_~ My eyes cry behind my smile, for my love is no love at all. It's a farce, a cruel comedy. Once I believed, love will conquer all, but now I ask: To never love or be loved, wouldn't that be a blessing? ~_

His clawed fingertips brushed over the dark handle carved to resemble a Phoenix. He turned the fan around and looked for a moment at the ink painting on the front. For a moment he wondered if the miko would have recognized it as his own work if she had known the origins of the fan. The ghost of a smile rushed over his face as he shrugged off the thought.

Closing the fan again he placed it back inside of his haori. Leaning back for a moment he closed his eyes and sighed softly. His gaze wandered over the overflowing table. There were lots of scrolls with urgent requests, invitations and other effluvia related to his position. After Naraku´s defeat the other lords had decided to make him the leader of the Supreme Court.

As much as he had once longed for this position, nowadays he loathed it. He had not known that the other Lords were so incapable of making certain decisions or seeing to necessities of their people. First they had all laughed at him and tried to overlook him, telling him that he was nothing more then his father´s heir.

By now they all saw how he handled his own lands, how he had been able to increase his people´s wellbeing and wealth and were now trying to get their own little pieces from his success. His workload had more then tripled and made it necessary for him to stay in his house more and more often. He even hired two other retainers as the work had become too much for Jaken.

In remembrance of the the last conference two days before, he snarled silently, his deadly fangs gleaming for a second in the light of the oil lamp. It had taken place, just after he had returned from a trip to Edo to visit Rin and her new guardian, the Shikon no Miko. Before it had started, he had been in a good mood as he had been able to get the fan back without notice.

The Northern Lord, an foolish old ookami, had dared to pester him once more to move into a more fitting home. He had even gone so far as to offer him help to rebuild his late father´s palace. Not in a million years would he allow anyone to rebuild this palace and especially not make him move back inside. He hated that place more than anything in the world.

That palace where his mother had been hurt and humiliated by his sire, where he had been left behind with nothing more but a few warm words, a broken-hearted mother and a land that was collapsing. There had been a reason for him to leave this place and he would never return to it. With every stone that fell, with every plant that covered it´s grounds his mother had healed a bit more.

When the palace had been nothing more than a faint memory, his proud mother once more been able to at least be herself. And he had sworn to himself never allow her to be broken-hearted again. Back then he had sworn to himself never to be like his sire. He would only take a mate he loved and could be faithful to, not one for political reasons, so both ended up hurt.

This thought brought him back to the fan resting inside of his haori. It seemed as if after all he was more his mother´s son, unlike his idiotic half-brother. It seems his father´s habit of never being able to decide on one woman was inherited by Inuyasha, while he followed his mother´s footsteps who had decided to mate the only male she ever loved and stayed faithful to, even with his death.

He wondered how much longer it would take the little miko to finally break and either loose all her spirit on waiting for the hanyou or to make the better decision and get rid of him and his fickle nature. When the Western Lord had recently visited, he had noticed that his half-brother had again been absent and it had seemed as if the miko had cried just prior to his arrival.

She had, like always, worn her cheery mask, trying to fool each and every one around her, but he had seen how truly broken she had been. Once more his hand went into his haori, playing with the fan. His gaze drifted out of the half open shoji as he wondered if he should go and visit Rin once more. He was not interested in the miko in any sensual way, but she made him curious.

In this time filled with heavy weighing duty she was a welcome change. A mystery that waited for him to solve. Also he felt a kind of responsibility to her for taking care of Rin, and because she was pack. For that reason, being pack, regardless of being mated to the hanyo, she was allowed to take care for Rin.

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><p>Having travelled within his orb of light the inu touched down in the clearing with the well. Somehow over the years this clearing had become his arriving point whenever he came to visit his ward. Checking his clothing, he straightened his back and was just about to make his way to Edo when his nose was assaulted by three well known scents.<p>

The first was the scent of liquor and a lot of it. From the smell it must have been very strong, but cheap sake. The kind that one would drink to get drunk fast and without spending too much money. Sesshomaru himself would never touch stuff like this. It tasted awful and gave one nothing but a headache and a hangover.

The most prominent smell was one that always made him shudder, an unwashed hanyo. He would never understand how one with a keen nose like his half-brother could bear not bathe on a regular basis. The dai often wondered how the humans around him were able to stand it.

More than once he had seen the miko use the beads around Inuyasha´s neck to force him into taking a bath. Sesshomaru chuckled darkly at the memory while he took in a trail of scent. The inu frowned as he noticed that it led to a most unlikely place, inside the bone-eater´s well. Stepping closer he wrinkled his nose as the scents grew stronger.

He sniffed once more and recognized the last scent, sex. Lots of it, and with multiple partners. Whatever the hanyo had done it had involved much sex and an equal amount of liquor. The Western Lord frowned angrily and bent slightly over the edge of the well to look inside. On the very bottom of it lay his half-brother, unconscious and dirty.

Part of him wanted to leave the fool there, but the more rational part decided that he had to get him out there. He didn´t really want to present Inuyasha in this state to his fiancé, but she needed to know. His honor as the pack´s Alpha demanded from him to protect his subordinates, not only from bodily harm but also from mental or emotional harm.

While it would hurt Kagome to see her soon-to-be-mate in such a state it would prevent her from further pain and humiliation in case someone else would find him and bring him back. He just could hope that her nose was just good enough to only recognize the scent of liquor, but not the stench of sex.

Bracing himself for the foul stench, he leapt inside the well and picked up the limp, red clad figure. Throwing him over his shoulder, Sesshomaru leaped back out of the well and made his way to the village as fast as possible. He spread his senses in order to pinpoint the locations of each of the different members of the little rag-tag group.

Quickly he had located the miko, who was luckily on her own in her hut. He knocked on the solid door that made this hut so different from every other in the village. A soft shuffling was heard and then the door swung open. Unlike most other days, the miko wore traditional hakama and haori, both in dark blue, her long dark hair was swept up in a messy bun and she had a small dirt smudge on one cheek.

"Sesshomaru-sama?" Her blue eyes widened as she took him in and narrowed when they landed on the burden over his shoulder. Stepping aside, she motioned him to enter with her hand. "Please, come in! The children are helping Kaede at the hot spring with the laundry."

The inu stepped inside the hut and looked around. Before he could ask where he should unload his burden the miko opened the next door leading to the children´s room. Silently he followed and watched while she took out a futon and blankets. Without a word he placed the still unconscious Inuyasha on the futon.

For a moment the miko looked down at the hanyo with an unreadable expression then she turned and left the room for a moment. When she came back she held a bucket with steaming water and some cloth. Hesitating briefly in the doorway she came back to the futon and began to undress and clean Inuyasha.

"Please wait outside for me, Sesshomaru-sama," she whispered, knowing he would hear her. "The stench must be unbearable for you." She wiped away some dried vomit from the hanyo´s skin and wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Heaven help us if he fathers some bastard kids one day in this condition..."

"Come again?" The dai was stunned by her words, even his always impassive face slipped for a second or two; his eyes widening a fraction.

"He reeks so much," she sighed and blushed while pulling down Inuyasha´s stained hakama. "Even my inferior nose can identify this smell. This is also the only reason why I clean him, I don´t want his stench tainting my home."

"Does it bother you that he may have fathered a child with another woman?" The tall inu beside her was still stunned over her behavior and tried to understand what happened.

"Well," the young woman looked at him for a moment. "It would be disastrous if that happened, don´t you think?"

Seeing her blue eyes darken with seriousness he fought with himself. Normally his answer would have been blunt, no matter whom he would hurt, but this was different. This female was pack and he could see that she was already suffering a great deal. His instincts were already on high alert from wanting to protect his pack. Still he knew she would suffer less if she knew.

"It will never happen..." Sesshomaru trailed of, and avoided looking at her now confused expression he shifted his gaze to the flushed face of the drunkard in front of them. "I will not lie to you, for I do not lie to anyone, much less an important pack member like you."

"I am pack?" came a soft whisper from Kagome.

"Of course. It is my duty to look out for you." As the inu was still not looking at the miko, he didn´t see either her shocked face nor her wide eyes full of astonishment. He shrugged slightly. "I would not let you take care of Rin otherwise. But that is not the point!" Finally he looked at her, his face impassive, but his eyes serious. "He can not father any pups. The hanyo is sterile..."

"Sterile?" The young woman dropped the cloth in her hands.

"Yes..." Sesshomaru hesitated. For the first time in his life he felt really uneasy to talking to someone. "He will never be able sire any pups. It has been this way since his birth. I am not sure if he knows it, but you will never have any pups together."

"That doesn´t concern me anymore." The miko looked down at the male. Having finished her shallow cleaning the miko rose to her feet. "Tea?"

* * *

><p>Once more the Western Lord sat in his cozy study and pondered over the events of that day. After they had left the unconscious hanyo alone in the pups´ room the miko had made him tea and finally told him what had occurred after her birthday, how they had a fight and she had thrown Inuyasha out.<p>

In the following days, his half-brother had returned time and time again, each time more drunken and reeking even more strongly of other females. He had tried to convince Kagome to take him back, told her she needed him, that she was nothing without him. The miko had brought the pups to the elder miko to protect them from the hanyo´s disgusting behavior and slept in the house of her surrogate sister and brother-in-law.

When Sesshomaru had next arrived, this time bearing the unconscious hanyo, she had been cleaning up the disaster Inuyasha had created from a fit of uncontrolled anger when he couldn´t find her.

He had destroyed many of her private and important things, and even gone so far as to slice up most of her clothing. Sesshomaru had only been able to listen in mute astonishment. Astonishment born from watching her exhibit some care of the inebriated hanyo he returned to her doorstep.

The Western Lord had waited until the hanyo had awakened to assure himself that he would not try something stupid. The boy had been whiny and apologized over and over again. The young woman had listened patiently and seriously, but had also told him that she would not forgive this so easily and that Inuyasha should leave.

Afterwards the miko had gone to fetch the children and he had spent a pleasing afternoon with Rin and the mischievous kitsune. He had gifted Rin with his painting of her and somehow even promised to make one of the kitsune, the miko and even himself together for her. Together they had hung it at the wall and Rin had stood for a long time simply looking at it.

Later in the evening after Sesshomaru had brought the pups back to the elder miko, he had checked if the Shikon no Miko had safely arrived at the hut of her friends before leaving on a fruitless search for the halfling. Unbeknownst to the group he had ordered two of his best guards to have a look on the situation and to inform him in case of another incident.

Now back here in his study, he reached inside of his haori and took the fan out once more. The smooth, practiced movement of his wrist opened it. Reading the message from the miko once more, he laid it on the desk pad and took his brush. For a short moment the tip hovered over the fine paper then he wrote his message.

_~ To never love or be loved, that could never that be a blessing - To love means to live. Still this one often wonders: When begins true love, as true love would surely never hurt initially. But tell me, dear lady, how much pain has one to bear alone? Do we have to suffer alone and break or are we allowed to accept help in our daily campaign?_

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><p><em>Hope you enjoyed! Please Read &amp; Review!<em>  
><em>This chapter was written by Dreamcatcher. (.comprofile/userprofile/dreamcatcher)_  
><em>Next one will be Summerbirdy's (.comprofile/userprofile/summerbirdy)_


	3. Chapter 3 Kagome

_Hey! This is Summerbirdy and Dreamcatcher. We are co authoring this story, Secrets On A Fan, and wish you enjoy reading this as we've been enjoying writing this. We are taking turns on writing the chapters, but be assured, you will be notified which of us has written which chapter. __We do not own Inuyasha or make profit writing this, it is purely for fun and growing as a writers. This story will be posted on Dokuga under Summerbirdy´s account and will also been found here on under Dreamcatcher´s (dreamcatcher81)._

_Our special thank you to Smortz, who helped us when my beta was attacked by real life. _

_This chapter is written by Summerbirdy and it's told in Kagome's POV. _

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><p><strong>In Sickness And In Health<strong>

Kagome was running towards the well. She was breathless, but didn't stop for a second. If she failed this now, a life would be at risk.

Shippo had found Rin lying on the ground near the well. She was heavily panting and covered in cold sweat. All week long he had told the girl that she smelled sick, but Rin had made him promise not to say a word about this to Kagome. Why would she ask that? Kagome couldn't figure it out. From what Shippo had told her, in the short moments when she was gathering the herbs and a cloak, Rin had gotten wet in a previous thunderstorm that had hit the village almost two weeks ago, shortly after the last visit from Sesshoumaru.

She reached the collapsed girl and wasted no time wrapping her into the warm cloak. Shippo had run ahead and started a fire next to the well, already heating some water over it. Though it was important to get Rin to the safe and warm hut, Kagome had noticed over the years that giving medicine as soon as possible saved lives. This way, the young girl would heal faster instead of having to wait for Kagome to carry her unconscious body back to the hut, before administering the medication.

Water was boiling in no time, thanks to Shippo's growing skills with his magic, and soon Kagome started pouring the mixture down Rin's throat, making sure not to drown the girl. When the last drop was consumed, Rin's breathing was a little bit smoother. Now, they needed to get her to the hut.

During the last two weeks, there had been two youkai circling the village. First, Kagome had thought them to be hostile, but when she flared her reiki in warning, the youkai went further away, but returned to a more appropriate distance. There was no malice in their auras, so she let them be. Sometimes, at the border of her senses, she felt them battle, but they never came towards the village.

The fact that Inuyasha's aura seemed to be the one they were battling didn't escape Kagome's senses either. As long as those youkai kept him away from her and the village, she would even house them. But obviously. they were on look-out for the inu-hanyou, since they did not come to check on her or the village.

She had her suspicions about who sent those two. Now, when she urgently needed help to carry the girl, she flared her reiki in a desperate manner, reaching and tugging the two unknown youkai, until she felt them start getting closer. If they worked for who she thought they did, they wouldn't deny her the help.

It didn't take long for the youkai to start to move nearer; and soon, two demons burst through bushes into the clearing. The first one to appear was a strong and bulky looking demon, with a bear-like face and fuzzy hair. Kagome instantly dubbed him Kuma-san. He reminded her of the teddy-bear she used to have when she was younger.

The other one was a feline demoness, but Kagome was unsure of what particular kind of of species. She made a mental note to ask, after the situation with Rin was taken care of. She didn't want to offend her helper by calling her Neko-san, if she was actually a tiger.

All of this happened in a few seconds, and Kagome didn't waste time with actual introductions. Those could be done later. Now, Rin was most important. Kagome started barking orders, all the while warming Rin by rubbing her arms through the blanket.

"You, Kuma, take her and follow Shippo to my hut. And hurry with it. Shippo start the fire and heat more water."

The youkai didn't stop to question the order given to him by a miko. He had recognized the unconscious girl on the ground and would do anything to help her. He rushed to do the miko's bidding and followed the kitsune, who was already running ahead.

Kagome looked at demoness, who was watching her curiously.

"I need you to run back to Sesshoumaru-sama and tell him that I request his presence as Rin has fallen ill." She lifted her hand when the demoness paled visibly with the order. "I vouch for your safety and tutelage if you have reason to fear for your life. Tell him that you are under the protection of the Shikon no Miko."

The demoness's face showed a flash of relief, and she was gone in seconds, her aura disappearing in the direction of the Western Lands. Kagome shook her head. Sesshoumaru had obviously started to soften with Rin, but some things never changed. Maybe, he had too much stress or something, if his underlings were scared to bring him bad news.

Shaking all thoughts of the Lord of the West from her head, she turned towards her hut and took off running again.

* * *

><p>A few hours later, Kagome was sitting by Rin's futon, gently wiping her forehead with a cold towel, when she noticed a rapidly nearing youki. It was Sesshoumaru, and by the way his youki slashed against her reiki, even from the distance, he was royally pissed. Kagome sent a silent prayer that her messenger was alright.<p>

She rose to her feet and headed to her door. She really liked to have a door in her hut and she preferred it to stay attached to it too. Whenever Rin was in trouble, Sesshoumaru went berserk. No need to collect pieces of her door from the ground, if she could prevent it.

As soon as she opened the door, a snarling inuyoukai stood in front of her. His eyes were red, the markings on his face jagged. He was panting as if he'd been running all day, and his fangs were slightly elongated. Kagome bowed at the lord, but didn't utter a word. Right now, pleasantries were obviously not appreciated.

"Where. Is. She?" Sesshoumaru snarled through his teeth.

Kagome pointed to the room that Rin and Shippo shared, and the demon lord stormed in. She closed the door and followed him to the stopped at the door of the kid's room, watching Sesshoumaru. He was standing by Rin's futon and his face was filled with agony. Kagome knew that look. It was the same look her mother had when Souta had fell down the shrine steps. It was the look of an adult overwhelmed by pain and guilt.

Had he been anyone else, Kagome would have laid a comforting hand on his shoulder. Instead, she sat back on the edge of the futon and started mixing herbs for Rin together.

"Explain." A gruff and raspy voice asked behind her.

Kagome sighed. "I wish I could explain. To me, she was totally healthy until this morning. And even then, she convinced me it was only a mild cough."

She turned towards the inu lord and bowed deeply. "I'm so sorry, my lord. I let you down..."

"No, Kagome," a small voice interrupted them. Rin had awakened, which Kagome absently thought was very good thing, and was on the verge of tears.

"I lied to her, Sesshoumaru-sama. I got surprised by a thunderstorm, when I collected herbs to Kaede-baa-san and got wet. But I didn't want to worry Kagome, so I lied. And when Shippo said I smelled like sick, I made him not to tell anyone. I tried to make medicine on my own, but it didn't work."

Tears were streaming down Rin's cheeks.

"I'm sorry Sesshoumaru-sama, I've let you down. I promised to be good and not cause trouble to Kagome, and that's why I didn't want to bother her. And now you're mad at her and it's not her fault. It really isn't!"

Silence was heavy after Rin finished, and for a minute or two, only the sobs from the girl were heard. Then, Sesshoumaru sighed, and looked at Rin with a stoic face.

"This one is disappointed. Make sure this never happens again, Rin." With that, he left the hut. Kagome knew that he didn't go far, but didn't say anything.

Rin burst into the tears. Never before had she seen her lord so mad at her.

"He's going to leave me now, isn't he? He was so mad. He's not going to come back." She sobbed to the miko, who was mixing herbs into hot water.

"Nonsense." Kagome scoffed. "If he was going to abandon his ward, he wouldn't sit at my door step now, would he? Here, drink this and go back to sleep." She helped Rin up and gave her a bowl.

Rin took the bowl and carefully sipped from it. "Why are you not mad at me, Kagome?" She asked, looking at Kagome from under her bangs.

"Oh, I'm angry alright and disappointed too, but I don't believe that lecturing to a weak patient, who's barely conscious, will do any good." Kagome answered sternly but quietly. "There will be consequences on your behavior, but right now you'll need to concentrate on getting better first."

She sat by Rin's futon until the young girl fell asleep. Then, she rose to her feet and started to her front door. It was time to confront her demons, pun intended.

In the common area, Shippo and Kuma, as she mentally called the bear demon, were sitting by the fire, talking about some youkai stuff. When Kagome arrived to the room, both turned towards her, anticipating the news.

"She'll be fine. She sleeps now." Kagome said, and watched in amusement as two sets of shoulders sagged from relief. "You two should sleep now too. Sesshoumaru-sama and I will watch over things tonight. I need both of you up and ready to take watch at the morning, so I can sleep." She continued, when both tried to protest. With this, she turned towards the front door and walked out.

Just like she had said to Rin, Sesshoumaru was sitting next to the door, leaning his back on the wall, his arm resting on a bent knee. Uncharacteristically, he had buried his face into his arm and didn't give a sign that he noticed her coming to him. Kagome sat beside him unceremoniously and leaned her head against the wall of her hut.

"She'll be fine." She said, looking at the stars that were shining above. "She'll need few days in bed, lots of the special tea and company of loved ones, and she'll be her usual self again."

There was no answer, but she wasn't expecting one. They sat in comfortable silence for some time, Kagome watching the stars and Sesshoumaru still hiding his face. Kagome was sure he was moping, lashing out at her over something that wasn't her fault. He must have been scared when the messenger arrived, telling him about Rin's illness. It was obvious that he loved his ward like a daughter.

"You know," Kagome started. "She reminds me of myself, Rin does. Mother used to complain about me being too goodhearted for my own good. I kept ending up in the hospital because of pneumonia, since I didn't want to bother mother with my little coughs and fevers."

Kagome laughed softly at her memories from home.

"I didn't stop until she told me I was more of a bother with the secrecy and hospitals than I'd be if I just told her I had a cough."

She turned towards the inuyoukai. She hesitated, but reached then to touch his shoulder. "I'm not blaming you for getting angry at me. If it had been Shippo getting hurt at your care, I'd been worse than you were. You didn't start slashing that whip of yours." Her words were silent enough to where only Sesshoumaru could hear them.

The inuyoukai straightened himself and looked at Kagome. His face was stoic as ever, but the golden eyes were swirling with emotions. He opened his mouth to say something, but closed it again. Obviously, it was something very difficult for him, so Kagome decided to have mercy on the guy.

"No need to apologize. I know it was your instinct and I do not blame you at all, but if it makes you feel better, know that you have my forgiveness." She said, looking into his eyes. Relief flashed in there and for the first time, Kagome saw him smiling. It was short, but it was surely a smile. Kagome was in awe.

"Your mother was right, though." Sesshoumaru said, talking quietly. "You are too goodhearted for your own good."

Kagome blushed furiously and turned her face towards the sky, clearing her throat. She wasn't expecting that. A smile and a backhanded compliment? At least, she would take it as a compliment.

"Now then, we have a misbehaving pup in our hands." She chirped, changing the subject. "When she gets better she'll need to face the consequences. I personally think she should be grounded, but what say you, Sesshoumaru-sama? You are her guardian."

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><p>Dawn found Kagome dozing, her head was against Sesshoumaru's shoulder. When she woke up, she was flustered, but wondered to herself why he had let her sleep there. She shook the thought off, and rose to her feet. She wanted to check on Rin, but before she could reach the door, a familiar aura appeared on her "radar", nearing rapidly.<p>

"Inuyasha. Oh shit, not today." She grumbled, ignoring the questioning rise of an eyebrow on her company's face.

A red flash reached the pair and there stood Inuyasha, wobbling a little.

"Well well well, what have we here. " Inyasha slurred drunkenly. "My bastard, full-blooded, arrogant, icicle-shoved-way-too-far-in-his-ass, son of a bitch brother and my prude, wanna-be-miko, Kikyo-copy fiancé, who refuses to put out for me."

Kagome frowned at his chosen words, but it really wasn't anything she had not heard already. More and more after she had broken their engagement and relationship. She rubbed her temples and wished for more patience. She really, really didn't want to fight today.

"Nothing to say, eh?" Inuyasha went on, swaying a bit. "Well, it doesn't matter. I only came here to take what is mine, and I won't leave until I have it."

That got Kagome's attention. As far as she knew, all belongings he had were packed and hauled out of her hut.

"And what is yours? You have nothing in here anymore, I made sure of it." She said.

"Ah, but I'm not talking about any trinkets." Inuyasha smirked drunkenly. "You promised yourself to me, and I plan to take what is mine."

Kagome blanched. She stared disbelievingly at her former fiancé. Did he really think he had ANY rights to her, especially now? Had he finally lost his mind to the beastly thing Tetsusaiga was supposed to seal within him?

One look into the hanyou's eyes told the truth. He was still himself – drunk like a skunk, but definitely himself. That made Kagome's blood boil and brought her powers to the surface. Oh, how she wanted to wring his neck, but she couldn't fight now. She needed to take care of Rin and fighting Inuyasha was a waste of her energy.

"I don't need to listen to this, Inuyasha. You know very well that you lost your chances with me when you repeatedly called of the wedding." She hissed behind clenched teeth. "You're not welcome in here anymore. Go find one of your whores if you have an itch to scratch."

Kagome absentmindedly took notice of Sesshoumaru raising his eyebrow over her choice of words, but didn't dwell on it. She turned once again towards the door.

"None of them are you, Kikyo." The slurring voice said behind her.

Kagome stopped. A heavy silence spread around them, but Inuyasha didn't seem to notice. The miko turned slowly, fury clearly visible in her eyes. The hanyou was oblivious to anything, and continued his rantings.

"Well, it ain't like you are still keeping yourself safe either, right?"

He was delirious. He must have been.

"It's quite obvious that you was cov- corv- lusting after my bastard brother here, and couldn't wait till you were free to get him, eh?"

Wait, what? Kagome was stunned. How did he come to THAT conclusion? Surely, he still had his senses and could smell that there had been no sex. Ever.

It seemed not.

"You, my darling, are nothing but a whore, and that's how I'll treat you."

Kagome saw red. There was no way he could speak to her like that.

Before she had a chance to speak or do anything, a flash of white blurred past her, and Inuyasha was thrown into the nearest tree trunk. Poor tree, she thought.

Sesshoumaru stood in front of her, eyes blazing red and clenching his teeth. The look in his eyes was filled with disgust and anger when he stared down at his half-brother.

"Go tend Rin, and shut the door." He said quietly, but sternly.

"But..." Kagome started to protest. This was her fight. Inuyasha had insulted her, and she wanted revenge.

"Kagome, he has insulted a pack member of the West and an ally of supreme demon court. As a leader of the West, it is this Sesshoumaru's duty to answer to the insult. He has also insulted his family. So this matter is this one's to handle."

Kagome knew then that in front of her was Sesshoumaru, the lord of the West, and not Sesshoumaru, the guardian of Rin, she was used to meeting. Any objection to_ this_ Sesshoumaru would be futile and a waste of breath.

"Go in, shut the door, and tend to Rin."

Kagome bowed and left.

Inside, after bolting the front door, she slumped against it while sighing. Then, she noticed Shippo and Kuma sitting by the table, drinking tea. Shippo was wide-eyed and looked at her worriedly.

"Are you alright, Kagome? We heard everything. Kuma here was about to attack Inuyasha and I was going to burn his behind, but Sesshoumaru got to him first." He talked, waving his hands animatedly. Everyone winced when a particularly load roar reached inside the hut.

Kagome looked at the bear youkai in front of her.

"So, your name is really Kuma?" She smiled. That was... original, she thought.

"Well, no, but you called me that, and I like it." Kuma mumbled. He seemed young and somewhat uncertain of being in her presence. She was miko after all.

"Ah, well, Kuma you shall be, until you decide otherwise. It is a pleasure to meet you." Kagome bowed a little, and after getting a greeting back, she walked towards Rin's room.

"Shippo, be a dear and bring hot water and my herbs. Kuma, go tell your friend that she can come inside too. I don't want her to get between those two by accident."

That day and long into the night, they kept hearing roars, whines, clashes of swords and war cries. Kagome made sure everyone in the village knew to keep away from the forest, and used her day healing Rin and getting to know Kuma and Momo, the feline she had used as a messenger earlier.

Both youkai were young but skilled, and Sesshoumaru had taught them himself. They explained to the miko how much they respected the daiyoukai. He was fair to his people and a good leader. His people respected him because of that and not out of fear, as some rumors went. Momo even giggled at some of her lord's antics and explained that Sesshoumaru took his pack seriously. That's why he had entrusted the miko and his ward into their care, and because of the care he showed for his pack, none of his underlings were ever fond of bringing him bad news. Their lord did have a habit of taking his first frustrations out on the messenger.

The day drowned on, and when the setting sun peeked into Kagome's room, she noticed the onyx fan, that had been sitting on her bookshelf a couple of weeks. It made her smile when she thought about the message her secret friend had given.

She took the fan and opened it. She once again admired the picture on it, and then turned it to read the message

_ ~ Still this one often wonders, when begins true love, as true love would surely never hurt initially. ~_

Kagome laughed at that. True love, eh? Everyone dreamed of their one and true love – to find that certain someone to share the rest of their lives with. Yes, it wasn't meant to hurt, but what if the other was happier with someone else? Then it would hurt, but true love, as Kagome was taught, was also able to let go.

She knew that true love was there, where two people could trust each other fully, be themselves with another and give up any pretenses, no more acting. When you knew the other inside out and they knew you and still accepted and loved you and you them.

It didn't start with lightnings or cymbals. You couldfall _in _love fast, but _true_ love grew between two people. And true love knew to let go.

Maybe, her love with Inuyasha had not been true after all. All this time, she too had pretended, hid the tears and fears, masking her disappointments and keeping secrets from him. Also, she had never trusted him fully again, not even after coming back three years ago, and never enough to let him have all of her.

Certainly, it had not been true love from his side. Even this morning, he still had called her by another's name. Oh and when she had let him go to find the clay miko, encouraged even, it had not been for selfless reasons. At first, she had hoped he would notice the sacrifice she made. Later, it had been to have some time alone.

No, what she and Inuyasha once had was not true love. No matter how she wished it to be. Kagome sighed and turned her eyes back to the fan.

_ ~ But tell me, dear lady, how much pain has one to bare alone? Do we have to suffer alone and break or are we allowed to accept help in our daily campaign?~ _

How did this person know her so well? She had hidden the pain that Inuyasha's actions had caused, for some time, especially recently. She hadn't told a soul how she felt and how every cancellation of the wedding had hurt her.

She didn't want to disturb the family life of Miroku and Sango, Kaede was getting old and sickly, and the rest of the village had their beliefs of the matters of relationships and woman's place in it. So she kept it all inside. Maybe, only Rin and Shippo saw some of her troubles.

Kagome's thoughts were interrupted when a victorious howl pierced the air. She stood up, walked to the common area, unlocked the door and stood back. Standing tall, her eyes glued to it. Soon, it opened, revealing Sesshoumaru. His kimono was tattered and bloody. He had gashes and bruises, but he held himself tall and proud.

He stood before Kagome, as if waiting for something. Kagome met his eyes and bowed.

"Kagome, miko of the Shikon, Ally of the West and Supreme court, teacher and companion of this Sesshoumaru's Rin." Sesshoumaru started, very formally. Kuma and Momo gasped, and listened in awe. "This Sesshoumaru, Lord of the West and leader of the Supreme Court of Demons, have arrived to announce, that this one has been victorious on his quest of defending your honor as a pack member and trusted ally of West. The culprit has announced his defeat and has been dealt his punishment."

Kagome was agitated. However much she now despised her former fiancé, she didn't want him to die either. Sesshoumaru seemed to sense her worry, since he then continued.

"Inuyasha, the second son of Inu no Taisho, Guardian of the Forest of Inuyasha and protector of the Shikon Miko, has been banished from the Western lands, and whole Nippon from this day onward. This will last forever, or until the Demon Court decides otherwise. As a leader of the West, this Sesshoumaru also disowns Inuyasha from the family of Inu no Taisho. He shall have no rights to the forest that carries his name."

Kagome took in a sharp breath.

"You mean, he's alive, beaten, disowned and told to get away from his home, familiar lands and whole Japan? Ooh, he's going to hate me now. And other lords, he might go to them. Tell them lies or something. How did you do it? Won't other lords overrule this? What if he comes back? Oh, no, he'll take it out on Rin and Shippo..."

Kagome's questions and thoughts rambled on and on, stumbling onto one another, until none of it made sense to the other occupants of the room.

"Miko."

Kagome silenced and looked at Sesshoumaru, who had snapped. She expected to see him frowning at her, but found nothing but his stoic face and golden eyes.

"This one doubts the other lords will go against him in this. Not when they hear how he treated you. Besides, they dumped their responsibilities on this one, making me leader of the court."

Now, Sesshoumaru was openly smirking.

"Inuyasha is and will be banished forever. He can't come back or he's as good as dead. He knows this."

Kagome looked at his eyes, searching for any hint of this being some cruel joke. When she found nothing but sincerity and bit of compassion, she gave into the tears. The miko launched herself into the daiyoukai, wrapping her arms around his waist, burying her face into his chest and then, she cried.

She cried for her friend, who didn't appreciate what he had. She cried for the taiyoukai, who had to banish his brother and pack member, but most of all she cried for herself and her shattered dreams of love and family. She cried until there were no more tears, and then she fell asleep with her arms still around the inu.

Next morning at breakfast, Kagome heard from Shippo about what had happened after that. Sesshoumaru had lifted her to his arm, and carried her to her futon, not once complaining about humans and their weaknesses. Shippo claimed he had seen him caress her face and hair before leaving her room to check up on Rin, but Kagome refused to believe that.

When she was left alone, she went to her room and opened the fan. Then, she collected her best brush and ink and started to write to this mysterious person. After carefully inking the English words into the fan's paper, she placed it on her windowsill.

_ ~ Unnoticed it is, the true love of fond hearts. Begun when there is trust, truth and wish for other's happiness. No one is meant to carry the heavy heart alone, for there are those who share the burden, unnoticed, silently supporting. This knowledge leaves me to wonder, who might be the one silently supporting me?~_

_Hope you enjoyed! __Please Read & Review!_

_This chapter was written by Summerbirdy (.com/profile/userprofile/summerbirdy)_

_Next one will be Dreamcatcher's. (.com/profile/userprofile/dreamcatcher)_


	4. AN

Dear Readers,

I am very sorry, that my writing and update progress has slowed down so much in last months. Tho my block is finally gone I am not able to write as much and as fast as I would like to. Please don´t worry, I did not loose my will and interest to write and finish my stories and I promise to update as soon as possible.

I know, I make you wait, but let me tell you, that I have a very good reason: I am pregnant again. Sadly my pregnancy is very, very exhausting and with some problems, so that I am not able to get as much done as I would like. I hope you understand and be patient with me. I will of course try to write and update for you as much and fast as possible.

Thank you so much for your understanding!

Love,  
>dreamcatcher<p>

PS: As soon as I have an udate I will replace this with it. :)


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